Ireland’s first ever Trade Union Week takes place next week, running from Monday 29th April to Sunday 5th May. A flurry of member organised events will take place across the island showcasing the strength and diversity of the movement.

Kicking off the festivities with a bang, Bohemian Football Club will line out in a jersey emblazoned with the Better in a Trade Union tagline when they face Dundalk FC in Oriel Park tonight, Friday 26 April. Chris Crowley, a clerical officer and member of Fórsa took part in both the initial video launch of the campaign, and the photo shoot to launch the new strip outside Liberty Hall.  

He joined Bohs players James Akintunde and Anna Hegarty to pose at the Connolly statue alongside members from SIPTU. Chris maintains the campaign has been an incredible conversation starter in his workplace.

Talking about the campaign he said: “It’s to try and get younger people into trade unions and it's to get everyone into a trade union. With numbers we have more power. And it's a great campaign to get involved in. So people have seen the campaign coming up on ads, when they're watching videos with their kids.  It's great to see that it's nationwide,” said Chris.

Fórsa branches are organising events in hospitals, schools, offices and colleges. Several branches have organised joint events with other unions in their workplaces, including with the INMO, SIPTU the INTO and the AHCPS. These joint events are designed to celebrate and mark the on the ground organising done in workplaces by members.

Trade Union Week is part of Better in a Trade Union, an all-island campaign which aims to ensure that all working people are aware of the benefits of being in a trade union, and the strength you have when you’re part of a collective.

Fórsa national secretary and ICTU Vice President Katie Morgan said: “Trade Union Week will be a celebration of unions and union members, and it provides a perfect opportunity to talk to your colleagues about all the reasons they should join Fórsa.”

“Recent Red C research has told us that 44% of workers aged between 18-34 who are working but aren’t already in a union are interested in joining a union. We need to speak to all workers about the benefits of being in a trade union and how they could transform their workplace collectively.”

Fórsa’s Youth Network will host an event in Dublin on Mayday, Wednesday 1st May. The event will feature a panel of young workers in the trade union movement, including Katie Morgan, ICTU Vice-President and Head of Fórsa’s Services and Enterprises Division, Maeve Richardson, ICTU Youth Vice-Chairperson, Hazel Nolan, Fórsa Strategic Change and Eoghan Fox, President of the Galway Trades Council and Mandate NEC member. It will be chaired by Isabella De Luca, Chair of the Fórsa Youth Network.

To attend you can register here. 

As every year the Dublin Council of Trade Unions will hold its annual Mayday March on the 1st of May. Assembly is at 6.30pm at the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, in Dublin 1. More details are available here.

There’s never been a better time to join a union, and it’s never been easier. Join Fórsa today.